At the last minute, I decided to head to Phillip Island for the 2016 World Superbikes, with Rob Smith and a few of his mates and their mates. We left early Thursday morning, the 25th Feb, and arrived back Monday the 1st March.
Information I needed before the trip:
Weather forecast:
- Thursday Bathurst: 19º-37º, sunny
- Thursday Oberon: 16º-33, sunny
- Thursday Batemans Bay: 21º-31º, sunny with 70% chance of < 1mm rain
- Friday Bairnsdale: 16º-26º, sunny
- Friday Phillip Island: 16º-20º, cloudy
- Saturday Phillip Island: 16º-20º, 30% chance of < 1mm rain
- Sunday Phillip Island: 17º-21º, cloudy
- Monday Wonthaggi: 16º-25º, mostly sunny
- Monday Bairnsdale: 16º-26º, mostly sunny
- Monday Batemans Bay: 18º-25º, 50% chance 1-5mm rain
- Monday Marysville: 12º-28º, mostly sunny
- Monday Thredbo: 8º-17º, 60% chance 1-5mm rain
[NB I didn’t know the itinerary, so a couple of different options above.]
What to take:
- lightweight Draggin Jeans
- lightweight track pants
- riding boots
- lightweight change of shoes
- PJ’s
- Bike jacket, incl inner liner
- lightweight bike gloves
- 1 helmet and 2 prs ear plugs
- 1 lightweight lock and chain for helmet
- 6 prs thick socks for under bike boots
- 4 prs lightweight socks
- 10 prs knickers
- 10 T-shirts/shirts
- 1 skivvy
- 1 WSB vest
- 4 bread bags
- 1 Bluesfest hat
- 1 set of ‘wets’
- 1 neck sock
- 1 fold-up chair or cushion
- 1 lightweight backpack
- 1 ‘suitcase’ and straps and protectors for back of bike
- 1 waterproof liner for suitcase
- 1 phone and charger
- 1 camera and charger
- 1 mini tripod
- 1 pocket knife
- 1 sudoku book and pen and pencil
- 1 toothbrush and toothpaste
- 2 small cakes of soap
- 1 razor and shaving cream
- 1 wallet and it’s contents, incl myki card, seniors card and enough spare cash
Information at the track
Maps and photos
- Day 1: Bathurst to Bega via Black Springs, Goulburn, Clyde Mountain. A stinking hot day with lots and lots and lots of road works.
- Day 2: Bega to Cape Paterson along Princes Highway, and Leongatha. Met up with Richard and Glen at Orbost, by accident. Richard’s front tyre was shot and was replaced at Bairnsdale. More roadworks towards Sale.
- Day 3 and day 4 were at the track: superb close racing in all races – world superbikes, Australian Superbikes, world supersports, and australian classics periods 5 and 6.
- Day 5: Marnie’s flight from Singapore was delayed a day, and hence I stayed an extra day. I rode with Rob to Seymour, and then returned to Melbourne, while Rob continued on to Albury. Riding through some beautiful areas after Healesville, we passed one wallaby watching us round a corner, and another wallaby in the middle of the road.
- Day 6: Rob had a breakdown at The Rock, south of Wagga Wagga. His belt (of his Buell Belt Drive) broke. Greg Donald was nice enough to get a trailer and drive from Bathurst to pick him up. I met Marnie at the airport, and had brunch at The Wall, before trudging through Melbourne traffic via Coldstream to Healesville, and on through Black Spur to Benalla and overnight at Albury. I was so tired that I dropped the bike while parking at the Astor Hotel.
- Day 7: Albury to Bathurst via Hume, Old Gundagai Rd, Young. I left early and rode the first couple of hours in the dark, to beat the heat of the day. Arrived back in Bathurst at 11am.
- Day 8: washed clothes, and packed ready for the next trip to PI again, in a week.
Photos can be found here.